Recently the good people over at Boing Boing TV have been treating viewers with something very special, an interview with Syd Mead.

While you may not know Mr Mead by name, I’m certain you know his work because Syd Mead has spent the last five decades designing the future. He started by working on car designs for Ford but I suspect he found the realities of automobile design to be too restrictive because after a few years working with Ford and other companies he went out on his own. He eventually made his way to Hollywood where he entered into our consciousness through his work designing vehicles and landscapes for films like Star Trek The Motion Picture, Aliens and most notably, Blade Runner.

Remember that sense of dread you felt when looking at Blade Runner’s version Los Angeles in 2019? You can thank Syd Mead for that. While you’re at it, thank him for getting your hopes up about flying cars too but don’t blame him for the fact that we haven’t got them yet, he did his part already by designing them (come on science, step up to the plate already).

I highly recommend checking out the interview which focuses on the creative process of Syd Mead as well as specifics about his work in movies and video games. Be sure to check out part three which covers Blade Runner and features a Lego replica of the Spinner Car from the movie, which may be the best use of Lego you’ll see for a while.